1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus that performs a predetermined process of substrates such as semiconductor substrates, glass substrates for liquid crystal display devices, and glass substrates for photomasks, and to a substrate processing method.
2. Description of the Background Art
Conventionally, known in the manufacturing steps of substrates is a substrate processing apparatus that performs a predetermined process of substrates by immersing the substrates in a processing solution. FIG. 21 is a diagram illustrating a conventional substrate processing apparatus. A substrate processing apparatus 100 as shown in FIG. 21 is provided with a processing bath 110 that stores a processing solution, and a transporting mechanism 120 that transports substrates W up and down. The transporting mechanism 120 has a driving part 121, an arm part 122, and a substrate holding part 123. The driving part 121 is operated so that the arm part 122 and the substrate holding part 123 are integrally moved up and down. The substrates W are held on the substrate holding part 123, and transported up and down along with the substrate holding part 123.
When performing a predetermined process of the substrates W, the substrate processing apparatus 100 causes the driving part 121 to operate so that the arm part 122 and the substrate holding part 123 are integrally lowered. The substrate processing apparatus 100 performs the predetermined process of the substrates W by immersing the substrates W into a processing solution stored in the processing bath 110.
In the substrate processing apparatus 100 so constructed, it is desirable that a space including the processing bath 110 is sealed as narrow as possible, for the purpose of preventing diffusion of gas containing the compositions of the processing solution, and for the purpose of controlling the atmospheric pressure of a processing space. It is however difficult for the substrate processing apparatus 100 to seal the space including the processing bath 110 with no space around the arm part 122, because the substrates W are transported into the processing bath 110 along with the arm part 122.
For example, as shown in FIG. 22, if added a processing chamber 130 that is formed by an airtight member and encases the processing bath 110, it is difficult to arrange the processing chamber 130 with no space around the arm part 122.